October 24, 2009

Today is a bit like the night after the prom. Lots of work before the event, great party, now I got to get up and go to church...
Pizza Hut till 12:30, 1:00? Woke at 7:30 but not awake enough to blog about Saturday night.
You haven't heard? October 24th we had our first sponsored Prism GSA event. Peterson Toscano and Ray Boltz came together in Portland, IN to preform at the fabulous Arts Place.
A few people objected to the event but most of them were not very well informed... on any level.
Some letters to the editor complained about Arts Place having this event when the only thing Arts Place did was rent us the facility. Arts Place is not a church so their policy is not to discriminate against others.
It seems to me if you are going to protest something you should 1) have some idea about what is taking place, 2) have at least one foot standing on some semblance of reality.
Example:
We had protesters marching with signs colored like rainbows, rainbow letters. While marching, in their mind, with a clear message against accepting others they held signs that sent a message of pro Gay rights.
But these aren't the most informed people I have ever seen.
One sign said Sodom and Gomorrah. Now this is a story about gang rape and a town that didn't know how to treat respectfully out of town guests. A story about the good guy being noble because he offered his daughters to be gang raped by a town. I guess women were cattle in those days of traditional marriage.
So outside the concert, rejection, hate, condemnation, absence of love.
Inside acceptance, respect, love.
Sodomites outside with signs to identify themselves, Gods love and acceptance inside from a club that is not a "Christian" group.
Peterson mentioned the protesters needed a couple gay friends to help them with their signs. Jay, Ray and Gay all rhyme and they did nothing with it!
One guy did come into the building to tell us how much he loved us and tried to pass out some information. I don't know for sure what the paper said but I did get a paper on my car with scripture I assume to explain why my friends and I are going to hell.
We rented the facility and those that wanted to come in to "spread the love" needed to keep it on the sidewalk with their picket signs. Sorry, I reacted a little forcefully, but my daughter was there, many friends and family. This guy came in assuming the worst about all of us. He didn't care or respect anyone's tradition of faith. He believes he was there in love but I saw their love on the sidewalk pacing back and forth.
First hour was Peterson. Great one man show. Take a look at some of his work here
Intermission then Boltz.
People refer to him as a former gospel singer but his still does many of his older songs and the evening had a very gospel feel to it.
To be True, Ray's newest release is a fantastic work that walks us through hid 40 year journey.
The event was perfect. Hearts touched, and for my wife, Emily and me a real dream come true

To the kids, Aundre, Elizabeth, Cain, Civic Theatre INC. and the many of you that sent donations, bought ticket scholarships for students. Thank you

Solomon Burke

Well you better listen my sister's and brothers,
'cause if you do you can hear
there are voices still calling across the years.
And they're all crying across the ocean,
and they're cryin across the land,
and they will till we all come to understand.

None of us are free.
None of us are free.
None of us are free, one of us are chained.
None of us are free.

And there are people still in darkness,
and they just can't see the light.
If you don't say it's wrong then that says it's right.
We got try to feel for each other, let our brother's know that we care.
Got to get the message, send it out loud and clear.


It's a simple truth we all need, just to hear and to see.
None of us are free, one of us is chained.
None of us are free.
now I swear your salvation isn't too hard too find,
None of us can find it on our own.
We've got to join together in sprirt, heart and mind.
So that every soul who's suffering will know they're not alone.



If you just look around you,
your gonna see what I say.
Cause the world is getting smaller each passing day.
Now it's time to start making changes,
and it's time for us all to realize,
that the truth is shining real bright right before our eyes.


None of us are free.
None of us are free.
None of us are free, one of us are chained.
None of us are free.

I found this from Peterson Toscano

Think we need Gay Straight alliance?

As a result of facebook dialog

I believe the dialog is important and while some fundamentalist Christian may not hear the truth those outside the conversation will.
The most important lesson in our churches is how to love others period.
I believe if we can get segregation abolished and black people riding on the front of a bus in Alabama we can... in time... achieve equal rights for GLBT people in America.
The church will change in eventually but until they do we will push on. ...
I hope the ministerial association accepts my invitation for the 25th but I'm not holding my breath.
Until Christians stop seeing "Gay" and start seeing people open dialog is doubtful.
I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder and I need to back off a little but until I am talked with rather than talked about or talked at I'm not sure there is hope for me to become less defensive.
I wrote a blog Sept. 17, 2007

Where to go

One of the things in it a friend wrote:

I am not suggesting that, nor would any Christian suggest that anyone form their convictions without recourse to the Scriptures.

I am suggesting that you consider WHICH "lenses" you will wear while reading scripture. EVERYONE WEARS SOME LENS. What I am suggesting is that rather than reading the very few passages that seem to deal with this issue through the lenses of your culturally conditioned prejudice and distaste, that you read them through the lenses of real people's real life experience. If you do that you will be in a position to decide for yourself what scripture teaches. If you DON'T do that you are only in a position to judge what it is that you WANT scripture to teach.